MTA 254 Sound

Week 8

• Archival Projects Due in Lab Week of April 11

(Screen in lab. Hand in PT session and post to Vimeo (post on your blog) by end
of that week. )

• Get your groups together for ADR project. Rip DVD!

• Make sure you keep up with the reading! There may be

up to two more “surprise” quizzes!

Wednesday, May 4, 2011

 Mixing

• Definition: combining and recording distinct elements

of the sound track at appropriate and often variable
volume levels.

• Mixing is where the relationships between all of the

elements--effects, music, dialog--are established.

• Old days, several people, each controlling an element,

as it was recorded to tape.

Wednesday, May 4, 2011

 Sub-Mixes

• Also called creating “stems.”

• Sub-mixes are big pieces of the puzzle:

• Music--by instrument or section

• Effects--to combine hard effects and foley

• Dialog--to combine production and ADR.

Wednesday, May 4, 2011

 Special Mixes

• M & E for some foreign distribution.

• 5.1 Surround.

• Stems for outside audio studio.

Wednesday, May 4, 2011

 How to Mix

• There are no hard and fast rules!!

• Mixer can work section by section, or scene by scene.

Title sequence, action sequence, etc.

• Mixer can work element by element.

Dialog, then effects, then music, etc.

Wednesday, May 4, 2011

 How to mix in ProTools:

• Create sub-mixes (also called stems) for each group of

elements. Get the relative volumes correct for all
ambience, all musical instruments, all dialog, all effects.

• Use sends, or “bounce to disk” for bigger projects to

combine groups of elements into single tracks.

• End up with 3 to 5 tracks to mix.

• Draw “volume automation” (rubber bands) or record

automation in real-time.

• Note: Almost anything (pans, or effect settings like EQ or

reverb) can be automated.

Wednesday, May 4, 2011

 Why is setting the volume levels called
“Automation?”

Rock Star

Wednesday, May 4, 2011

Wednesday, May 4, 2011
 Mike Figgis (some reading notes)

• “Silence” vs nothing.

• When sound was optical, there was a limited range

between soft and loud. Now, one can have more fun.

• Sound design is from Nick Cage’s aural POV (notice the

fridge sound).

Wednesday, May 4, 2011

 Figgis continued...

• p7: Difference between Hollywood and London.

• p12: Stopping traffic. Recording traffic ambience to

cover cuts.

• p13: Sound of loud magazine--scoring music in that

key.

Leaving Las Vegas

Wednesday, May 4, 2011

Wednesday, May 4, 2011
 Other Foley Examples

Happy Feet

Wednesday, May 4, 2011

Wednesday, May 4, 2011
 Blue Planet

Wednesday, May 4, 2011

Wednesday, May 4, 2011